Children’s Resources forMothering Sunday 2016Bible story and activity (to be used if it will not form part of a family service)

Have a variety of soft and hard/tough objects: e.g. cottonwool; feathers; a bath sponge; toybuilding bricks; plastic/wood container; metal pan scourer.

Read or tell the story of the birth of Moses from Exodus 2:1-10 and stress that it was becauseMoses’ mother, Jochebed, loved Moses so much that she made a plan to keep him safe at atime when baby boys were in danger.

Ask the children to imagine what it was like for Jochebed to carry out her plan to keep Mosessafe. Chat about how she might have felt.

I wonder how Jochebed felt when she said goodbye to her baby and placed him in the river?

I wonder how she felt when she heard Moses had been found and was safe?

I wonder how she felt when Moses was given to her by the princess to care for him while hewas young?

I wonder what you like best about this story?

Jochebed’s special love for Moses meant that he was protected from harm and cared for well.

Show the children the soft and hard objects; let them handle them and say which are soft andwhich hard. Ask for suggestions as to what you might use them for – and make the point thatsoftness and toughness are appropriate for different tasks...

You might clean a wound with cottonwool but you wouldn’t build a shelter with it! You needtough materials to make a place to keep us safe. A bath sponge is good for washing us clean –a pan scourer would be too rough! We need different types of materials for different tasks.

Our mums and those who care for us need a special kind of love. It is a love which is gentle tocare for us and strong to keep us safe.

If time the children could make buildings with the bricks;Younger children may have a time of play, caring for dolls and toy animals etc.

The Bible talks a lot about love. It says that God loves us in a way which is soft to comfort andtough to protect.

Memory Verse

God says: As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. Isaiah 66:13

Suggested actions:

God says: Point upwards then touch mouthAs a mother comforts her child, Rock baby gesturesso I will comfort you. Hug selfIsaiah 66:13 Make book with hands

This could be used in a family service. The children say the verse with the actions and thenteach it to the congregation.

Active Prayer

Love is tough and strong to protect. Strong man actionsThank you God for your love Shoutand the love of those who care for us. Clap

Love is soft and gentle to comfort. Stroke own hands or faceThank you God for your love Whisperand the love of those who care for us. Clap

This can be used as a prayer in their groups but could also be used in a family service.

Activities

; Explore what love is like by using the senses:

Provide a variety of fragrances for the children to smell and ask them what they think lovesmells like.

Provide a variety of crayons or coloured paper and ask the children what colour they thinklove is. They could then use their chosen colours when making their cards or bookmarks.

; Remind the children that God’s love is both gentle and strong – soft and hard.

; Play a game where children take turns in putting their hands into a bag, choosing an itemfrom it and guessing what it is before they take it out. These should be a variety of soft andhard objects. With older children, you could include items for the children to then suggesthow they could be used to show love to someone.

; If you have a drinks time, provide hard and soft sweets as a treat, e.g. marshmallows andfruit drops, as a sweet reminder of the softness and toughness of love. Remember to checkfor food allergies.

; Make gifts for the women in church by filling small containers with a variety of the soft andhard sweets.

; Make bookmarks as gifts using the memory verse. Photocopy the template overleaf onto A4 card and cut out.

; Make “Thank you” cards for mums and carers by decorating the hearts with soft materials e.g. tissue paper or cotton wool, and colouring in the inside text. Photocopy the template onthe next page onto A4 paper and fold in 4 along the dotted lines.

Thank youfor yourspeciallove!

For more information visit www.makeamothersday.orgMothers’ Union, Mary Sumner House, 24 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3RB

Isaiah 66.13

God says

: ‘As a m

other comforts her

child

, so

I will comfort you’

Isaiah 66.13

God says

: ‘As a m

other comforts her

child

, so

I w

ill comfort you’